Geo: 20.4816, 99.9383I have to admit, I've heard the term "golden triangle' used nearly everyplace I've been to; There's one in Australia, in India, in Kuala Lumpur, and even in the States, probably many more. This Southeast Asian Golden Triangle is defined by the borders of three countries where two rivers converge. Myanmar (Burma), Laos, and Thailand can all be seen at the same time when you are standing at the confluence of the Ruak and Mekong rivers. What makes this triangle infamous are the drugs that pass through it. Most of the heroin circulating our world comes from Myanmar and has passed through this triangle.* The opium is grown by farmers up in Myanmar, brought by donkey caravan to refineries along the Thailand-Burma border, turned into heroine, transported across the border in Thailand, down to ... read more

Geo: 18.8, 98.98So I arrived in Chiang Mai on the 30th at about noon (my overnight train was delayed) and from then through today, June 8th, I've been chilling. Just chilling. Nine solid days of no sight seeing, no challenging my boundaries, no packing and carrying stuff, no big decisions on where and what to do next, no paperwork for permission to go wherever and do whatever, no coordination, no negotiation, no planning, no reading brochures, no stress, no nuthin'. I've been chilling by the pool, sleeping in, getting massages, watching movies in my air-conditioned room on HBO, getting room service, eating in the same handful of restaurants that are close to my hotel, and that's about it. On Friday I rented a scooter for an indefinite number of days and ventured out past my immediate ... read more

Geo: 13.7308, 100.521Wat Pho, The Temple of the Reclining Buddha. The temple is also known as the birthplace of traditional Thai Massage. Now one of my favorite things, for only $6/hr I confess I've indulged in twice weekly massages for the past three months. And let me say, I can now rotate my head farther around to both sides that I though humanly possible. I'm addicted, what'll I do when I have to leave here?!?!? Anyway, I digress.... This Reclining Buddha is really impressive, it's 150 feet (46 meters) long and 50 feet (15 meters) high. Unfortunately the building it's in in only a few feet wider and taller than the statue, rather like it's still in it's shipping crate. So you can't stand back from the statue to take it all in, and with a ... read more

Geo: 13.7308, 100.521These photos speak for themselves, I visited a few more temples today. One that I've been to before, and a couple others that I hadn't. An unexpected bonus at Wat Bowon Niwet was the monks quarters being open to the public. I actually ended up spending a long time here, just walking around enjoying the atmosphere. There were monks all over the grounds, and I got so many smiles and bows I couldn't possibly recount them all. On a totally random note, the day after I visited these temples I woke up and my right knee was killing me. I mean it really hurt. I layed there rubbing it trying to think what I'd done to hurt it, I didn't fall...I was walking a lot on uneven ground, but why would only my right ... read more

Geo: 13.655, 102.565The photos speak for themselves, this trip was really not different at all from the trip into Cambodia. Except I knew what to expect this time. I hired a taxi from my hotel which got me to the border (6hours $15 US), and there I found a guy at a folding table outside the border office who sold me a ticket on the next bus back to Bangkok (5 hours $14US). I had 90 minutes to kill before the bus left so I went into one of the only buildings in town and wow, I was not in Kansas anymore. Inside the hotel was a huge lobby with crystal chandeliers and red carpeting. It was like a gaudy Vegas joint. And then I saw the gambling room. Who knew Poipet was a Cambodian Vegas? ... read more